Portable dehumidifiers have been found useful in controlling the moisture content in the air contained in interior rooms of buildings. Use of dehumidifiers has been found particularly beneficial in removing excess moisture which otherwise causes damage to articles stored or contained in such interior rooms due to the formation of mildew or mold on such articles. In modern buildings where storage space is scarce, cellars have increasingly been used for storage as well as living spaces, despite the fact that cellars, at certain times of the year; are generally known to be damp, located below grade level, lacking access to sunlight, and having porous cement walls, typically are damp. Such spaces are probably the most appropriate spaces for dehumidification, and homeowners frequently employ portable dehumidifiers to overcome problems of excess moisture, however most cellars lack drains to carry away condensate collected by the dehumidifier.
Prior art dehumidifiers such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,627,669, 3,199,307, 4,135,370 and 4,603,489 typically have gravity drains to permit continuous operations. Alternatively, portable dehumidifiers typically employ drip pans which are used to collect liquid condensate to be emptied once a day when the pan is filled, with a shut off mechanism to turn the dehumidifier off in the event the pan is not emptied on a daily basis. Emptying the pans requires removal of the pan from the dehumidifier which is heavy when filled with water with risk of spillage and carrying the pan upstairs or out of doors, to be followed by the return of the pan reinstallation, all of which is laborious and time consuming.
Inasmuch as most cellars are below the drain outlet for the house, the gravity feed of the prior art dehumidifiers cannot be used. Consequently the vast majority of portable dehumidifiers installed in the cellar, basement or rooms not having access to a drain, must be emptied daily by the user at great inconvenience. If left unattended the dehumidifier ceases operation upon the filling of the pan.
It is therefore desirable to provide a simple, effective, portable dehumidifier apparatus and pump in order to provide for improved drainage, particularly when located in rooms located below grade such as a cellar or basement.